Cable connector



Dec'. 3o, 1958 K. A. RAYPHOLTZ CABLE CONNECTOR Filed Dec. 2e', 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 1 W\ J e nHN\\\nrf .V

@ on .mim s Dec. 30, 1958 K, A, RAYPHOLTZ 2,866,957

CABLE CONNECTOR Filed Deo. 2e, 1957 C' lx 2 sheets-sheet 2 LIE- 4'1ML/wrok KENNETH 4. Rim/@L72 www GENT

. 1,866,951 CABLE CONNECTOR Kenneth A.. Raypholtz., Marion, 1nd assignerto Essex Wire Corporation, Fort Wayne, Ind.,

Application December 26, 1957, Serial No, 705,393l 1 Claim. (Cl.339,-60)

This invention relates to electrical cable connectors such as are usedto detachably join two cables to each other or to detachably joinf acable to electrical machinery or a power supply source.

The present invention has particular utility when adapted to asubmersible pump motor. Such` submersible pump motors are usuallyinstalled and operated nearthe bottom of a welland are joined byelectrical cables to a source of electrical power. It will beappreciated that the connecting cables are exposed to water, oil, andother liquids, often at a high pressure.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a cable connectorwhich will be entirely liquid tight yet v may be quickly and easilyjoined or separated.

.Another object of this inventionis to provideA a cable connector whichshall be` suiicijently' rugged to withstand adverse `operatingconditions 'yet' which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

f Still another object of this invention is to provide a cable connectorwhich is constructed to maintain the cooperating members thereof in the.desired circuitfconnecting relationship.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cable connectorwhereby the circuit connecting elements may be easily joined despite aslight misalignment thereof.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a cable connectorwith means for sealing the circuit connecting elements against theentrance of a liquid through a rupture in the cable insulation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing description and appended claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a three cable connectorincorporating the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the left end of the connector shownin Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view the line 3 3, of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view generally similar to Figure 3 but with thecooperating members out of engagement.

Figures 5, 6, and 7 are end elevational views taken, respectively, fromthe planes indicated by the lines 5 5, 6 6, and 7 7 of Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a sectional view of a modified cooperating member such asmight form part of an electrical machine.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a cable connector 10comprising a plug member 12, a receptacle taken substantially on member14, and a coupling member 16 intended for mak ing connection between thethree conductors 18 of cable 20 and the three conductors 22 of cable 24.Although three-conductor cables are shown for purpose of illustration,the cables 20 and 24 may have any desired number of conductors. Theconductors 18 and 22 are individually enclosed in a sheath 26 ofsuitable insulating material such as natural or synthetic rubber. Thesheathed `ductors 18 attached 82 is provided with a 2,866,957 PatentedDec. 30,v

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conductors 18 mayy be' enclosed in a jacket 2816i similarinsulating/material extern/al surfaces of the housing comprise-apolygonal scction 42 for receiving a wrench, a cylindrical portion 44,anda-cylindrical reduced diameter portion at 46. It will be noted fromthe drawing that groovel 40 is formed in housing 3Q at a cornerrbetweentwoV adjoining. external surfaces of the polygonal sectionf42. Thereduced diameter portion 46is-embeddeti in a molded bodyv 48Ywhich is.preferably vulcanized synthetic rubberutilizing polyrtuerizerichloroprene. In order to provide secure anchoragefio 'thehousing 30 inthe body 481116 Cylindrical portion,` 46 is provided with. a pluralityof annular grooves 5l) and one or more openings 52 each of which arefilled by ar section of the body material, Also embedded and anchoredwithin the body 48 are the end portions of the sheathed conductors 22land the contact elements 54 atl tachedto theseconductors. Each of thecontact elements 54 is preferably made of 'brass plated with silver andcomprises a cylindrical body nStrand a cylindrical een- -tact pm 58having a rounded end 60;.` The body 56 of 4 the contact element- 54 hasa suitable hole 62v to receive the .Interiy endY of the conductor 22molded of a suitable which is usually staked .and soldered inthe; hole62. v v

vThe plug member 12 includes a cylindrical body Y64 Y insulatingmateriali such as that described for body 4 8. The body 64' is moldedabout three contactelernents54, the end portions of the sheathed contothese contact elements, and the end portion of jacket 28. Protrudingfrom the end of the body 64 is an annular flange 66 shaped to conformgenerally with the shape of the recess portion 34 in the receptaclemember 14, and having a sealing face 68 received in the recess portion34 to sealingly engage the shoulder 38 therein. The flange 66 has asubstantially semi-cylindrical projection 70 received in the groove 40to align the plug member 12 and its contact pins 58 within thereceptacle member 14 so as to insure that the plug contact pins arealways in the same angular position within the receptacle member. Thesealing face 68 of the plug body 64 and the shoulder 38 of thereceptacle member 14 are held in abutting relationship by a clampingring 72 and a jam nut 74 mounted upon the plug body 64. The clampingring 72 is preferably metal such as brass and extends acrosssubstantially the entire cross section of the flange 66. The jam nut 74has a threaded portion 76 which engages the corresponding threadedportion 36 in the receptacle member; and when the jam nut 74 istightened, it bears against the Vclamping ring 72 to compress the flange66 between the clamping ring 72 and the shoulder 38 thereby providing aliquid-tight seal.

The coupling member 16 includes a cylindrical socket block 78 ofresilient insulating material, such as natural or synthetic rubber or aplastic, provided with a plurality of holes 80 to receive therein andfirmly hold a corresponding number of contact elements 82. The contactelements 82 preferably comprise cylindrical tubes formed from brass or asimilar resilient conducting metal which may be silver plated. Each endof the contact elements generally cylindrical socket portion 84 forreceiving a contact pin 58. Longitudinal slits 86 and a transverseindentation 88 in the socket portion provides a spring arm 96 forresiliently engaging its respective contact pin 58.

The socket portions 84 at one end of the coupling member 16 will engagetheir respective contact pins 58 when the c`oupling member 16 isinserted into the recess portion -32 of the receptacle member 14. Thecontact pins 58 of the receptacle member 14 will be forced into theirrespective socket portions 84Aand be resiliently engaged '-by-the springarms )0.A If the alignment of thegcontact pins 58 with their respectivesocket portions 84 is not exactly correct; the resilienceof lthe socketblockY 78 will permit anyof theV contact elements 82 to move a smallamount to accommodate the contact pins.V Thus it is not essential thatthe contact pins beprecisely aligned Vasi-the 'contact elements 82 willmoveV slightly to Vpermit'the easy insertion of the contact pins58 incase of misalignment. -It also may be noted that in caseany one of thesocket spring arms 9 0 should lose its resilience, thepcoupling n'lemberV 16 maybe easily and economically replaced.

' In Figure 8 is shown a receptacle member 92 similar to the receptaclemember 14 but in which the housing 30a comprises Va portion of thehousing of an electrical ma- 'chine such Vas a pump'motor (not shown); Acylindrical body 48a Asecured in the cylindrical yrecess portion 32asupports a plurality of contact elements 54 whichmay 'be'connected tothemotor windings. The coupling member 16 and lthe plug member 12 may bepositioned in the vreceptacle member 92 in the same manner as thatdescribed V for receptacle member 14.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in its preferredembodiments and has included certain details, it should be understoodthat the invention is not tobe limited to the precise details hereinillustrated and described since the same may be carried out iu other'ways falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is: In an electrical connector, a receptacle member, aplug member, and a coupling member; the receptacle member comprising arigid tubular housing having a first recess at one end and a secondannular recess at the opposite yend Vprovided with a threaded portion, ashoulder and a substantially semi-cylindrical groove longitudinallyposivtioned in the annular surface of the second recess between theshoulder and said opposite end of the housing; said opposite end of thehousing having external side walls polygonal in conguration; said groovebeing formed in said housing at the corner' between two adjoiningexternal surfaces of said housing; the receptacle member including aninsulating body disposed within the first recess and a contact memberembedded lengthwise in said body having a pinlike extension; thecoupling member comprising a block of resilient insulating materialloosely disposed in the rst recess and holding a contact 'plugzmember inthe receptacle member; a jam nut and a clamping ring slidably mounted'onthe plug body with the clamping ring having an external configurationsubstantially identical to that of the circular flange and beingdisposed between the iam nut and the circular flange; and the jam nuthaving external threads engageable with said receptacle threaded portionto compress the circular ange betweenthe clamping ring and the shoulderto provide a liquid tight seal.

j vReferencesCited in the le of this patent `UNITED STATES PATENTS2,626,299

Richards Ian. 20, 1953 2,658,183 Klostermann Nov. 3, 1953 2,724,093Preston Nov. l5, 1955 y 2,787,770 V -Arson e Apr. 2, 1957 nFOREIGNPATENTS' *685,556

Germany' Dec. 20, 1939

